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Delhi Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Virendra Sachdeva, along with party leaders including RP Singh, was detained by police on Wednesday during a protest against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's remarks referring to Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu as a "traitor."
Speaking to reporters during the protest, Sachdeva said, "Rahul Gandhi gaddaar hai (Rahul Gandhi is a traitor), Rahul Gandhi will have to apologise for his statement, he will have to resign." BJP leader RP Singh also condemned Gandhi, saying, "Rahul Gandhi murdabaad. Tytler ka yaar desh ka gaddar hai." The protest, held in the national capital, witnessed BJP workers raising slogans such as "Rahul Gandhi sharam karo," "Rahul Gandhi murdabaad," and "Bharat Mata ki jai," expressing outrage over Gandhi's comments. The demonstrators demanded that the Lok Sabha Leader of the Opposition apologise and resign for his remarks. Meanwhile, BJP workers in Punjab's Amritsar also staged protests earlier in the day against the Lok Sabha LoP's statement against Union Minister Ravneet Singh Bittu. The controversy erupted on Wednesday when Rahul Gandhi, passing by protesting Congress MPs near the Makar Dwar of Parliament, referred to Bittu, who had quit Congress in 2024 to join the BJP, as a "traitor." Gandhi reportedly said, "Here is a traitor walking right by. Look at the face... Hello, brother, my traitor friend. Don't worry, you will come back (to Congress)." Bittu, however, refused to shake hands with Rahul Gandhi and called him a "desh ke dushman (enemy of the country)." Furthermore, Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri strongly condemned LoP's remarks, stating that the use of the word "traitor" was unacceptable, particularly when referring to a member of the Sikh community. Addressing a press conference in Delhi, Puri said parliamentary discourse must be grounded in decency and respectful language. He added that while Gandhi may be upset over Bittu leaving the Congress, labelling him a traitor implied betrayal of the nation and was unacceptable. "Rahul Gandhi used the word 'traitor' for Ravneet Bittu today. This word should not be used lightly, as it means one who betrays the country. This is a serious issue for the Sikh community. LoP Rahul Gandhi is upset that Bittu ji left his party, but he also told him that you will come back. Just because a turban-wearing person leaves your party, you call him a traitor. The word he used is unacceptable. To label anyone from any community as a traitor is unacceptable. Parliamentary discourse, both outside and inside the parliament, has to be grounded in decency and in decent language," said Puri. (ANI)
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